Maslenitsa instead of Casimir. How Kaziuki in Grodno degraded, with only the name remaining
This year, the revived Kaziuki craftsmen's festival in Grodno, dedicated to St. Casimir's Day, celebrates its 25th anniversary. However, this important tradition is increasingly in decline. To combine the incompatible — Maslenitsa and Kaziuki — a day was chosen that suits neither one nor the other holiday, writes Katolik.life.
The festival was last held as an independent event in 2021, and then formally it still retained international status, thanks to participants from Ukraine.
Then the festival began to feature only Belarusian masters, and it itself became part of Maslenitsa celebrations, which is a nonsense.
This year, the situation is completely absurd. Kaziuki was again combined with Maslenitsa and scheduled for a date when it is too early for the feast of St. Casimir (March 4), and too late for Maslenitsa.
The "Hrodna Razhuliai" festival, within which Kaziuki will take place, is planned for February 28. But the main focus is on Maslenitsa. The program includes a Maslenitsa parade, concerts, pole climbing, and burning of an effigy.
And this is despite the fact that this year the last day of Maslenitsa, which is formally connected with Great Lent for Orthodox Christians, is February 22. And February 28 will already be the first Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church.
Signs of celebrating Maslenitsa with a Christian, not pagan, meaning were absent before, but the dates of Maslenitsa week for Orthodox Christians were adhered to until now. Now, to once again combine the incompatible — Maslenitsa and Kaziuki — a day was chosen that suits neither one nor the other holiday.
There is also no mention of why Kaziuki is celebrated at all: in honor of the Catholic saint Casimir, who passed away into eternity on March 4 precisely in Grodno — the patron of the peoples of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland, as well as craftsmen. This is emphasized during the famous Kaziukas in Vilnius, where a procession with the figure of St. Casimir is held.
In Grodno, this was not the case before, and now there isn't even a mention of the patron of craftsmen. Therefore, the Grodno Kaziuki, along with the ritual of burning an effigy, create the impression that the festival is somehow connected with pagan Maslenitsa. Only the name remains of the tradition.